Love Reincarnated
by Katerina Petrova Salvatore
Summary: Damon Salvatore's love for Elena Gilbert is timeless. They just don't know it yet. Will Stefan's diary from 1864 lead them to a second chance at what they lost? Damon and Elena, then and a century later.
1. I Will Love You Forever

**A/N**: Hey! This is my first official take on TVD fanfiction and I hope you'll like this little story. It's definitely DELENA all the way because I firmly believe that they belong with each other, even though the producers and scriptwriters of the show think otherwise. ;)

**Summary**: Damon Salvatore feels a strong pull toward Elena not just because they have known each other this past year. Stefan and Katherine may have destroyed their love 146 years ago but now that he knows the truth, he will do everything in his power to get her back.

* * *

><p><strong>I Will Love You Forever<strong>

_Chapter One_

* * *

><p><em><strong>Mystic Falls, 1863<strong>_

Elena caressed the bright pinkish-purple petals of the carnations in her mother's garden, smiling at the thought of her lover. Not too long ago, she had received a grand bouquet of red roses on his first call, and she could only wonder how good fortune was upon her when she was sent word from her father that such great man took interest in courting her. He was the talk of every woman in town, especially at the galas held in Mystic Falls. So, how could it be that he liked her of all the more sophisticated and beautiful women in town?

"Are you excited to see him, again, sister?" Elena smiled, blushing at the mention of him. She looked at her younger sister of sixteen, Francesca, who was dearest to her heart and knew most of her secrets, save the first kisses that Elena had shared with him. For the most part, she had feared that society would look down upon such act exclusive to couples joined by sacrament.

"Of course, I am," Elena answered honestly, her heart pounding more quickly as she recalled her secret moments with him by the river a fortnight ago. They had escaped the eyes of Elena's chaperone for once and for hours they discovered themselves in throws of passion. He had promised to give her a call today, and looking at the position of the sun, she knew that he would be here soon.

"You have to wait no longer, my love." She ran past her sweet younger sister, and quickly into the arms of the man she loved most. She was only seventeen but she would bravely bet her life that she had found the one in him. He was the man she would love forever, and she could only hope for an eternity with him.

"You're here!" Elena exclaimed with a joyful heart, smiling as she held him close to her heart.

"Did I ever give you any reason to doubt my promises, Miss Gilbert?" he asked sincerely, pressing a light kiss on her head. "I told you, I will forever be yours because I love you so."

"And I, you."

* * *

><p><em><strong>Mystic Falls, 2011<strong>_

All throughout the dark night, Elena Gilbert constantly tossed and turned in her bed, not able to keep her worries at bay. It was going to be another long exhausting day tomorrow, of that she was sure, and even while she was unconscious and off to dreamland, her mind continued to play all kinds of tricks on her.

The clock on her bedside table continued to tick-tock until rays of the bright sun penetrated her pink curtains. She could feel herself getting hot and groggily wondered if the timer on her air-conditioner had gone off. She tossed to her left once more, and her hand found its way to a hard rock surface. She sighed in content, appreciative of the sweet musky scent, even in her sleep.

"Rise and shine, sleepyhead." She heard the familiar velvet voice drawl smoothly. For a second she thought that she had been dreaming about him again, but it sounded too loud so she was almost sure that it did not come from her head.

She frantically looked up and met Damon's piercing blue eyes. Quickly, she pushed herself off the bed with her elbows and saw Damon laying languidly next to her in bed, sporting a proud smirk on his face. "Ahh!" she shouted in surprise. Pulling her blankets to cover what was left unseen of her body, she narrowed her eyes at him for a split second, and continued: "What are you doing here? Get out!"

He ignored her words easily, his focus on the little patch of water on his black Varvatos. "You know you were dreaming about me. It explains the drool," he said playfully, his eyes going back to Elena to see just how she would react. She always made it too easy for him, and that, he was very happy about.

Elena lightly slapped his chest in frustration then leaned back once more against the headboard of her oakwood bed. She needed two seconds (or one hour) to collect herself. Why did he always have to pick the worst time to surprise her? She imagined just how horrible she must look at this time of the day, and it was entirely unfair because Damon always looked too gorgeous even right after rolling in the hay. She grabbed the antique clock next to her bed, only to find out that it was six in the morning. _Six-freakin-o-clock_ in the morning. "Six a.m.?" She shook her head with a blank stare on the wall. He had the worst timing, ever. "Seriously? You really have nothing better to do at six a.m.?"

"Fine. Don't come with me to bring Stefan home." He raised his eyebrows suggestively, knowing that he had won her over once more. There was no way that she would turn him down now. She had wanted to look for Stefan the whole summer, and now, Damon decided to accommodate her wishes by letting her join in the fun. Not. "See ya." He rose nonchalantly, knowing that Elena would stop her as soon as her mind registered what he was up to.

"Wait." She reached out to his arm, but he had already been halfway across her room. "What are you talking about? Where is he?"

Smirking, he answered: "Windy city."

Elena's eyes bulged in surprise. "He's in Chicago?" He nodded once. "How do you know?"

"It came to me in a dream. I was naked, you loved it," he replied in a teasingly seductive voice, which went completely ignored by Elena.

Her mind was still attempting to wake up from her sleep, but for now, all she could concentrate on was Stefan. She would finally see him soon.

Not more than an hour later, Elena and Damon found themselves on the road. Living in Mystic Falls had its own perks, the best of which is the absence of traffic so that they left town in less than ten minutes, but mostly it was due to Damon's mad driving skills that he was only too proud of.

Elena looked out the window in silence, scenes of reunion with her boyfriend coming to mind. She wishfully thought that he would come back to her without hesitation, but that was her optimistic eighteen-year old brain talking. She had yet to grow up and learn some more.

"Here, read this," Damon said as he reached out to one of the leather-bound journals he had packed for their little road trip this morning. "It's Stefan's." He shoved the old thing onto Elena's lap, knowing that she would not keenly read the pages of Stefan's journal.

"I'm not going to read that. I won't invade his privacy," she replied, proving just how accurately Damon knew her. He had spent each day of the past two months with her, and by now, there was nothing about Elena that came as unpredictable to Damon. Safe to say, he read her easily like he would an amateur's comic strip, not that he had ever taken time to appreciate any of the Marvel characters fifty years ago.

"Fine, I'm going to read it for you," Damon started with a roll of his eyes, opening the journal to read a random page.

Elena would have covered her ears if she could. She was entirely afraid of what she would hear about Stefan's past. She already knew that he had done really awful things way back, due to his nature as a vampire, but still, she could not bear to hear the details. She had already heard enough, and if she would relive Stefan's past, she was almost sure that one sordid story could send her running to the hills.

"January 12th 1864. Dear diary, today I did something really horrible…" Damon's voice started in a serious tone, but then he added his own note and said: "Ooohh, shocker!" He looked at Elena with a playful smirk only to receive a bored roll of the eyes from her. Damon continued: "Katherine asked me to kill her and her family, and I did it without remorse. Even under the pretense of giving her a due call as a favour to Damon, they welcomed me in their home. She was more than surprised to see me, to see anyone related to Damon, truthfully. He had left her the day Katherine came to our lives, and somehow I believe it was Katherine's doing. She told me one too many times that vampires can compel people, and from what I gathered, it was easy to erase Damon's memories of her the moment she decided to string him along. I know that Damon loved her…"

"Wait, what the hell is this?" Damon stopped reading, surprised that he had never come across this entry before, and he was more than sure that he had never loved another woman before Katherine Pierce as Stefan claimed here. He looked at Elena who only gave her an equally questioning look, more than eager to know about what happened. If there was another woman in the Salvatore brothers' past, well she realized that it was definitely new to her ears, and now she was more curious.

"I was sure that he loved her. But suddenly, he stopped his daily visits and I would not see Elena anymore. Not if Katherine could help it. I swear, it would be the only justifiable explanation. He was going to marry her, then suddenly all ties were cut loose, and even father did not question it after. I went to her house and killed her parents first, then her three younger sisters. They were all afraid of me, but I had Katherine's support as I shot the bullet through their head, one by one. I had never done something so terrible in my life, but Katherine told me that if I wanted to be with her, I had to prove myself worthy of her love. So then I did as she asked. I killed Damon's fiancée."

* * *

><p><strong>PLEASE REVIEW! It will help me update faster. ;)<strong>

_Twitter: -Link on my profile page!-_


	2. Within Temptation

**A/N: **Thank you so much for the reviews! I know _Delena_ probably has less fans that _Stefena_ but you've all been wonderful in your reviews. I'm truly glad that other people share the same sentiments with me. Say it with me, ladies: "Damon and Elena belong with each other." All right, enough of the chitchat. I hope you enjoy this chapter, and please do not forget to leave a review. It delights me to know what you think.

* * *

><p><strong>Within Temptation<strong>

_Chapter Two_

* * *

><p><strong><em>Mystic Falls, 1863<em>**

Elena kept her firm grip on Damon's hand as she led him up the spiralling staircase and into her room. The couple, merrily living in their own blissful bubble of love, had completely disregarded the observing eyes of the two youngest Gilbert daughters as they hurried quietly along the plush carpeted hallway.

"What the bloody hell is she doing?" Isabella said to nobody in particular, acutely aware that her ten year old sister would not empathise with her. Elizabeth was much too younger, although only by four years.

"You cursed, Lizzie! I'm going to tell mother!" The youngest Gilbert received an annoyed roll of the eyes from her older sister. She was much too young to understand, Isabella reminded herself with a shake of the head. Their mother had told her everything she needed to know about men and the art of courting as soon as she had bled for the first time. It did not take too much thinking in her part to conclude that Elena was making a huge mistake by letting Damon into her bedroom, and if their parents found out about this, Elena would be punished severely, engaged to be wed or otherwise. In a small town like Mystic Falls, rumours quickly spread around like wildfire and she was afraid of what would happen to her oldest sister if somebody else knew about her indecent escapades with the older Salvatore. But it was too late when she realized what needed to be done; she heard the outstanding sound of Elena's door locked against the deafening silence in the hallway.

The instant Elena shut the door, Damon quickly pulled her into his strong arms once more, peppering tender kisses along her slender throat. The twenty-three year old man had it worse than a school boy, and only a woman as beautiful as Elena could ever satisfy his throbbing needs. He had travelled up north just as much as he had spent time in the south, so there was no questioning his certainty that no other woman had captivated him as much, and nobody else would ever successfully take her place. In a month, he would be forced to go back to service and it brought him phantom pain to imagine how he would survive cold nights without the goddess in his arms.

"I have missed you, Lena," he said as his mouth continued to descend hungrily upon her delicate breasts, making her moan in pleasure at the sweet contact.

"Help me remove this horrible dress, Damon." She pulled at the long Victorian gown in frustration, which only earned a teasing chuckle from her lover. "Well, what are you waiting for?"

The dress was removed in less than a minute, to her relief. Damon had much experience when it came to helping women out of their clothes, but never with as much excitement. Next came off her suffocating corset (which made Elena breathe in relief as soon as she got rid of the awful piece) and like the first time he had seen her bare as the day that she was born, his eyes appreciatively took in the beautiful sight before him. He would never tire of her beautiful body—Elena's enchanting body that was made only for him.

Clothes were quickly cast on the floor in desperation, and at last, Elena felt his hard length against her wet core. Damon pushed himself in a swift, fluid motion, experiencing pure satisfaction as he became one with her. Elena pulled at his raven black hair as he went in and out, trying to focus on his handsome face adorned with tiny beads of sweat, and smiled at the realization that she had affected him the same way he had her.

It could have already been a couple of hours or less than a minute and yet Elena could not care less. This is her _now_, and nothing else seemed more important than being with him, two souls intertwined in pure passion. His hand touched her nether lips, his eyes focused on the erotic act of love. He had frequently imagined her this way, and the sight only got better every time he actually saw it with his two eyes.

"You have to let go, Elena. I'm afraid I can't last much longer." He always waited for her to come down from her high before he did as his own little way of showing her respect.

"Damon!" She chanted his name like a devout's prayer to the gods as she felt the familiar feeling of pleasure building up inside her stomach. Two weeks ago, she had been naïve to such passionate pleasures, and now she could not even fathom to imagine ever going back to not experiencing something so incredibly great with him. This earth-shattering love is what she lived for, and she could not wait until he was permanently hers each day and night. She would make love to him until her last breath.

Damon followed suit moments after, his body collapsing on top of hers. "You are wonderful," he said sincerely, before placing more feather-light kisses on her slender neck. They were both covered in sweat, something he had previously found disgusting to share with women and would have easily escaped from after sex, but not with Elena. He was absolutely positive that there was nothing else more attractive than Elena hot and sweaty after their phenomenal love-making.

"Mhmm." She sighed in content as she revelled the feel of his muscles against her significantly small and tender body.

"Does it still hurt for you?" Damon asked in concern, hoping he had not been too reckless with her. The last thing he wanted was for her to decline his advances in bed. It did not take a lot of effort in his part to convince her that she belonged with him, but then again, he was truly concerned about her well-being in spite his unhealthy appetite for sex.

"I'm perfectly fine," she said happily, running her fingers through his soft locks in gentle strokes. "You need not worry about me. My body is yours to do with as you please."

"Do not mind if I do, Lena." She smiled as she felt him proudly grin against her skin; she need not look down at him to see his face in pure content. Damon was truly glad to enjoy moments like this with his sweet fiancée, his head laid comfortably against her soft, delicate breasts, although his eyes got heavy with each passing minute. "I cannot even begin to express how impatient I get until we finally exchange our wedding vows. It will be the happiest day of my life, mind you," Damon said in excitement as he counted the days until their forthcoming wedding.

"And night, don't you forget," she added with a smirk of her own, confident that Damon had already pictured their honeymoon more than she had.

"It will be the best night of our life."

* * *

><p><strong><em>Mystic Falls, 2011<em>**

Damon pulled over at the nearest rest stop, parking his Ferrari unceremoniously in front of a cheap, never heard of, motel.

"Wait, Damon," Elena called out to him but it was already too late. How could he leave her behind like this? One word from him would have been nice. Frustrated, she glared at his retreating body. If she had Bonnie's powers, she would have already done that brain-aneurysm thing on Damon. Or not. Recently, she could never clearly define her emotions for the vampire.

She turned to the security guard in the lobby and nicely asked for valet service. The poor old guy looked at her questioningly; it was a cheap motel they were at, and for a justifiable reason, there was no valet service for Damon's super expensive car. She handed the keys to the guard who kindly accommodated her request.

Elena marched toward the reception area where Damon had easily worked his compulsion on the red-head clerk who kept room numbers. Damon was handed a keycard to the best room in the hotel, though she was not entirely convinced that it would be decent enough to suit his exemplary taste.

"Are you coming?" Damon asked without throwing a glance in her direction. The question was pointless; he knew that she would go anywhere with him at this point.

They rode the elevator in silence, both equally lost in their own thoughts. Damon could not take his concentration off the journal entry he had just read, and he vowed to get the right details before the sun set, or so God help him, he would throw a hissy fit all over the place. Elena, on the other hand, was afraid to disturb him, let alone say a word. She had watched him turn from playful to pensive in a span of five minutes. Now she was afraid that one wrong move would cause him to self-destruct. It's always possible with Damon, really.

"We're here," Damon said lazily as he dropped his duffel bag on the floor. The room was better than Elena had expected, which slightly took her off guard. The windows were opened so wide that bright rays of the sun easily made their way through, momentarily distracting her. "There are two beds, so you can go take either. I need to get out of here for a while. Don't open the door to anyone unless it's me." That's it: no teasing comments about sharing a bed or invading the other's privacy. _It's so not Damon_, she sadly thought.

She had never heard him talk so prim and proper, and for some weird reason she wanted to feel him for symptoms of fever. Elena could only nod her head in obedience, in spite getting half-scared of whatever creatures lurked in this part of the town. Although Klaus had no idea that she was still alive, she could not help but wonder (just sometimes) if the others knew about her, and if they did, would they be after her life too?

"Damon," she called out, only too little too late for the vampire had already rushed outside the building. Elena sighed in disappointment. What was she supposed to make out of the overwhelming information from Stefan's journal? She knew that her boyfriend (or ex, she wasn't really sure) had done extremely horrible things in the past, but none so cruel as murdering Damon's fiancée and her family. What's even more disturbing is the idea that Damon actually had a fiancée before all the Katherine-drama started. If everything that Stefan wrote in the journal was true, then she felt truly bad for Damon. She could not bear to imagine how awful it must feel to lose memory of one's romance, no matter how it ended. If somebody took away her memories of Stefan and then she would later find out, she supposed it would shatter her world.

She rose to her feet and made a resolution: she would talk to Damon tonight as soon as he came back.

Damon Salvatore did not like secrets. That's why he always had to be in the loop about all things concerning himself and the people he cared about, even though voluntarily staking himself seemed less disgusting that admitting out loud that he actually cared for anyone but himself. Sure, he had let Elena know that he cared for her, and that he would always choose her, but that's it. Just Elena. Nobody else. Of all the people he interacted with on a daily basis, Elena Gilbert was his constant. He had accepted his feelings for the human girl and her inability to reciprocate but still loved her nonetheless.

It struck him like a fucking painful whiplash – what had he done to deserve such bad luck in love? First Katherine Pierce, and now, Elena Gilbert. Damon shook his head in confusion. If Stefan had been truly honest in his diary, there had been another woman in Damon's life... who had the potential to be even more important than the psychotic bitch he thought he loved for more than one hundred forty six years. And she had suffered a fate so cruel, and apparently out of his control, due to the same psychotic bitch. _Psychotic, spiteful bitch_, he repeated in his head. Another failure in his love life. So now, it could be - this woman named Elena, then the selfish Satan's mistress named Katherine, and his baby brother's girlfriend Elena.

"Fuck you, Katherine," Damon cursed under his breath. If there was a way to contact the five hundred year old vampire he would give her a call. He had a better idea, he would give her a stake through the heart. She deserved it for manipulating everyone he had ever cared about.

They were supposed to go straight to Chicago. Rest stops were out of the question. The idea had been simple, really. Drive to Chicago, have a quick stealthy move on Klaus, and bring Stefan home. Damon would do it for Elena; he would do absolutely anything for her even if she never acknowledged his efforts. But with this new found information, he was distracted, and he did not know if he wanted to stake Katherine or his own brother now. He read the entire entry five times before he decided that a hotel stop was necessary for Elena, but mostly for him because his emotions were suddenly all over the place. He had no idea what to do.

He walked around the block at least a dozen times, desperately trying to cool his head. In his hands was Stefan's sacred diary, the almost rotten material calling out to him all morning, begging to be read. He had two options: open the damn journal and keep reading, or ignore what he found out and go back to his save-baby-bro-for-Elena mission. "Damn it." Said curse was in order before Damon decided that there was no way in hell that he would ignore something as big as this. It was a black hole at the back of his head and he needed to know the truth, even if it would only hurt him in the end. He needed to find out everything about her, _whoever she was_.

Damon headed to the parking lot and into his Ferrari. He took a moment to collect himself before he opened the journal to the marked page. His eyes scanned the only entry he had read and now, memorized by heart. Stefan had admitted to murdering a family of six – all residents of Mystic Falls, if his assumptions were right. The journal was dated long before they were turned. He had killed innocent people without bloodlust, all for Katherine. And the worst part is, they were people that could have mattered to Damon. He scanned the next pages, looking for any mention of him or his fiancée. It is not until an entry from two months later where he saw another mention of the incident.

"March 6th 1864. Dear diary, my heart is suddenly filled with regret. I watch my brother spend time in the gardens, his gaze so far away and almost searching. He does not know what it is he's waiting for but I know just what he needs. He came back from the war earlier than we had all expected. Yes, father is absolutely enraged about it still, but I think I understand why he did it. He wanted to go home to his fiancée even if the wedding would not be until a few weeks from now. But there will be no winter wedding to celebrate and I will be his best man no longer. Nobody questions what happened to Jonathan Gilbert's sister; even father has no recollection of Damon being ever engaged to the lovely Miss Gilbert. Katherine made sure that there was no trail left after I did her request and for that I am most grateful... Katherine assures me that he won't be sad because she has great plans for me and Damon. I believe her and I know that she keeps her promises. They have spent quality time together these past few weeks and I see my brother smile when he is with her. I know what he feels; it's the joy that Katherine brings to me each day and night. But when I see Damon without Katherine, he spends his time staring blankly, seemingly waiting or wondering. He is waiting for her, I just know it. She will never come back to him, however, because of what I did."

* * *

><p><strong>Let me know what you think! Please review! (:<strong>

_Twitter: -Link on my profile page!-_


	3. Can You Tell

**A/N:** You guys have been so amazing with your reviews. Thank you so much for commending my story. You have all helped me and inspired me to write this next chapter, so I dedicate it to all of my reviewers. Enjoy, and please don't forget to let me know what you think of this one!

* * *

><p><strong>Can You Tell?<strong>

_Chapter Three_

* * *

><p><strong><em>Mystic Falls, 1863<em>**

A couple of fortnights later, Elena Gilbert would turn eighteen. Nobody had ever imagined that she would ever succeed to age a day older than seventeen without being wedded. Residents of Mystic Falls who had known her for years silently questioned how this came to be. Elena was beautiful and well-mannered, a very ideal choice in wife. Surely, at fifteen a man with fortune and rich possession would have already begged for her hand in marriage. Truly she had caught the attention of many lads of all ages over the past couple of years. There had been an old rich man whose name was Andres Thorne, hailed from England. He had come to the Americas to visit distant relatives, and to see if he could possibly extend his business overseas. Rumor has it that he was a man of royalty, a duke—some people would say. He had seen Elena at a gala, was immediately enraptured by her exquisite beauty and elegance. Like a moth to a flame, he made a haste decision to have an audience with the Gilbert husband and wife. He bravely asked for her hand in marriage after a short introduction with the young lady, but failed to catch her attention. He pleaded his case on his next visit to Mystic Falls almost three weeks later, only to be rejected a second time. Elena had been sixteen then, and she felt truly grateful for having such kind-hearted, understanding parents. The Gilberts refused to follow every bit of tradition; they were fairly unconventional and their beliefs were not like the usual ones old folks prided themselves in. Of course, their manners, conduct, and religion remained intact. It did not alter the fact, nonetheless, that the mistress of the house believed in true love and happiness, and that it would not be dictated by what society usually demands. So at almost eighteen, Elena was yet to be married. Had she been married to the four decades old man, or another one of her persistent suitors, she would not have had the chance at this beautiful engagement with the  
>dashing Damon Salvatore.<p>

On another one of Damon's calls, the Gilberts sat by the warm fireplace while enjoying a bottle of a decade old wine from Italia. Tonight marked a special day for Gregory and Margaret Gilbert: the couple's nineteenth wedding anniversary. Greg had insisted to invite close friends to a special dinner dedicated to this occasion but Margaret thought that they would best save it for the twentieth. It was only a year away, after all. Then they would probably spend half a grand to host a real wedding anniversary party. The Gilberts had old money but unlike the Lockwoods, they felt no need to flaunt their possessions every now and then. Tonight, she wanted an intimate celebration with her family, including Damon who would soon be legally a part of it. Naturally, Damon found the perfect excuse to extend the call and make it easier for him to sneak into his fiancée's quarters tonight.

"You and your wife look more joyful than ever. Pray tell, sir; what is your secret?" Damon asked light-heartedly. It was a time like the present that he cherished most. The Gilberts had been nothing but completely loving to him since the his first days of courting Elena, something that his biological family was anything but.

The older man nodded in agreement at Damon's simple observation. He then proceeded to give his beautiful wife a chaste, gentle kiss on the hand before looking back at the young man and proudly answering: "You keep the passion burning. Remember that no does not necessarily mean no." Mr. Gilbert sent him a pointed look which made Damon chuckle. The only people who understood the real meaning behind the said words were Damon (naturally) and Mrs. Gilbert who was giggling in her seat next to her adoring husband. Elena, not understanding what his father advised her fiancé, shot a questioning look directed at her parents who both failed to notice her confusion. "When you find a lovely woman to spend the rest of your life with, you must let her know that there will never be a night when you will not need her. That you appreciate her every second of the day."

And how useful those words may prove to be, Damon thought excitedly.

"Ah! I shall remember that. One day when Elena and I already have at least six children of our own, I will still be the merriest and most satisfied man alive," Damon replied in determination. He had often imagined himself growing old with his beautiful Elena. They would own a grand house by the lake where they first made love. There, they would spend the rest of their days and nights together. Forever.

Elena slowly caught up with the rest of the conversation, causing her cheeks to redden in silent response. Her parents were too engrossed in each other that they missed Elena's reaction to Damon's words. Damon, the affectionate man that he was, tightened his hold on her hand and soothingly rubbed his thumb along her palms. He leaned slightly towards her and whispered: "I promise that I will be capable to satisfy you every day and night. Perchance that you will refuse my advances,"—Elena profusely shook her head with a wide smile at this—"I will find a way to make you agreeable. I will make you scream in ecstacy. Always."

He did not think it was possible but her cheeks turned more crimson after his words were spoken. "I will hold your word for it, Mr. Salvatore," she replied in a low voice.

Damon smirked in response. Oh, she would just have to see it for herself.

* * *

><p><strong><em>Covington Virginia, 2011<em>**

What was the plan again? Damon tried to shake the confusion away from his head and remember why he had set on the road with Elena. Oh right, they were going to save his little brother whom Elena loved _oh-so_ dearly. That was the same brother who admitted to murdering his fiancée in 1864. And more. He had done countless horrible things in the past. _The nerve of him to actually write every little detail in his journal!_ This only strengthened Damon's resolve to see Stefan once and for all. Stefan would need to explain this madness or else Damon would be the one to go mad. He walked out of his car quickly and up to the room he shared with Elena.

The sun had been out for a while, a couple of hours tops, and so Damon assumed that Elena went straight to bed without him. Not that she usually waited up for him anyway. Still, there was the thought. Just wishful thinking in Damon's part.

"Tsk," he muttered as he realized that he had forgotten his key card. He did not want to wake Elena at this ungodly hour, so he needed to find another way to enter the room without making any noise. He waited outside the door for a minute or two, his hands outstretched above his head and on to the wall. Damon felt tired. Exhausted. Confused. Betrayed. And so much more. He wished that he could just remember whoever this woman was. He was more than curious to know everything about her, every piece of her. If she loved him. If he loved her. If they were happy together.

He needed to know the truth, even if remembering _her_ would hurt him even more.

Just as he was waiting outside, an old man pushing a cart of cleaning materials passed by. "Anything I can do for you, sir?" The man looked to be about seventy, yet still strong on his feet.

Damon slightly smiled in response. On another day he would not hesitate to compel this man to find his key card but for some reason he felt like it would be disrespectful and inconsiderate. Plus it's not like he would consider drinking from this old man. He still had respect for the elders. And maybe, there was some switching of gears going on. "I forgot my key card. And I don't want to wake my—"

"Your wife?" The old man assumed with a smile. "I saw the two of you earlier when you checked in. You have a very lovely wife, son."

Damon did not bother to correct him. Before today, there was a high probability that his heart would have soared so high at the thought that someone believed that she was married to him, that they were husband and wife. It would have been something he had always wanted for himself if he lived in an alternate universe. And he would definitely want it with Elena. That is, before he found out that he was engaged pre-Katherine.

"Now, I can't help you with the key cards but they're right down at the reception area. They store copies just in case things like this happen," the old man explained.

Damon nodded and said his thanks. He was set to go before he heard the old man say: "Keep the passion burning, son."

Damon stopped in his tracks as he registered the words in his head. Somehow, they seemed so familiar and important. Something that tugged at his heart. When had he heard them before? He turned around to reply but when he did, the old man had already vanished. How could someone so old move so fast? He shrugged his shoulders before he made his way to the reception area and asked for another key card.

He walked into the room quietly, hoping that Elena had already gone to bed. It was past 1 a.m. according to his mobile phone. The night lamp was dimmed and there on the couch he found Elena sitting uncomfortably, her head leaning backward, her eyes closed in exhaustion. On the opposite side of the room was a tray of leftover food from her dinner.

Someone was waiting up.

Damon made his way to the couch and attempted to carry Elena to the bed without waking her. He loved Elena, yes, but after this new found information on another _Elena_, Damon was ultimately lost. How was he supposed to feel for this Elena? He had a fiancée long before and he must have loved her. Probably more than he ever loved Katherine, or this 2011 Elena.

Elena stirred as soon she felt Damon's skin on hers. She had willed herself not to fall asleep without seeing him tonight and she truly hoped that he would talk to her, tell her what was on his mind. She just needed to be there for him. Elena's eyes opened to reveal her brown ones looking up at Damon's. "You're back," she said in relief. She was already in his arms when she woke up and like so many times before, in Damon's arms she felt comfortable and safe. Like he was her salvation.

Damon did not bat an eyelash as he continued to stare at the girl in his arms. Elena looked so beautiful that it hurt him knowing that she would never love him back. That once upon a time she had firmly said that it was always Stefan and that it would always be Stefan. He laid her on the queen-sized bed and walked back to the couch without a word.

Elena sat up in confusion. She had not expected Damon to return like this. Somehow she had convinced herself that he would come back like his usual snarky, arrogant, and witty self after cooling his head. She needed her Damon to come back. "Damon, talk to me. Please..."

Damon had nothing to tell her. She would never understand how much he had suffered in his life and after he was turned, how most of these sufferings were Stefan's doing in the first place. She would not understand that Damon had never been the bad guy in this story, that it was Stefan all along. She believed so much in her boyfriend that she had absolutely overlooked every flaw he possessed. And, fact remains that no matter what Damon said to her, she would always look at him as the less of the two brothers. Nothing ever made a difference. It never would.

"What do you want me to say to you, Elena?" Damon asked monotonously. "Do you want to know how I feel? Kinda pointless, don't you think? At the end of the day Stefan would always be the good guy and I _am_ the bad guy." He forced a chuckle to lighten the dampened mood. He already felt guilty for saying those words, knowing it would make her sad. "Don't get me wrong, I insist to be the bad guy. Y'know, I have a rep to protect and all..."

Elena shook her head as tears formed in her eyes. Truth is, she felt guilty as well. She had all afternoon to think about Damon and how lost he must feel, especially after finding out the truth about his life before Katherine arrived in Mystic Falls. He must be devastated to know that the woman he had actually loved was killed by his own flesh and blood, by human Stefan. And for what reason? Just to get in the good graces of Katherine Pierce.

"You're not..." She was at an absolute loss for words. How could she ever tell him that he was more than that? That he was appreciated? Loved? 'Wait, loved?' Elena tried to shake it off her head.

Damon raised his black eyebrows at her, challenging her to continue. He knew that Elena would never –

"You're beautiful, Damon. You're good and you're more than what you think you are. More than what others think of you," she said sincerely. She would have said more if she was being honest with him; with herself.

"I know," he replied, this time without a cocky tone to his voice. He was merely admitting the fact that he knew deep down that he had always been a good person, that before Katherine Pierce happened he completely abhorred the idea of people killing each other, that he could not even bring himself to harm any small creature back then.

Damon had always been the better of the two brothers, yet she would not see it.

Minutes passed and Elena already came to the conclusion that this had been the longest time spent with Damon when neither of them had a word to say to each other. She was walking on eggshells now, knowing that whatever words she chose to say next, some of them had the power to make things worse. Damon was in a very bad mood, and she had never seen him this quiet since the day they met. And that was saying something.

Still, she waited. She sat on the bed, looking at him, wondering if he would ever decide to tell her whatever. Just, whatever. She needed him to say something. She needed to know that he was all right.

"Please," she begged quietly._ Please say something._

"He really killed _her_. _Elena_. Whoever _she_ was. Stefan killed my fiancée." He could have made her read the rest of Stefan's journal entries. There were at least four in that book that mentioned the massacre Stefan had organized and executed by himself. He could have told her all the gory details; surely she would realize just how awful Stefan really was. He always was.

Still, Elena could not find the right words to say. What was the right thing to say? Would anything be enough to make things better for Damon? This incident had been long forgotten by everyone, apparently, and none of them had ever mentioned the existence of Damon's fiancée from 1864.

Could Stefan have known it all along and never said anything about it? Did she really love a man who kept so many secrets, who hid behind a mask? Was it all a lie? Did she know Stefan at all?

Stefan had to give them answers. He did not owe it to her but he at least owed it to his brother. And if he would not give them the truth, there was always—No. She could not even imagine what Damon would do if he found out about her plans.

But Damon had always been there for her. He had always taken good care of her. He was always there to protect her, be her knight in shining armor. He was always there and he never asked for anything in return. So she would do this for him. She needed to find answers for Damon and she would do anything to help him out. Even if it meant declaring her resurrection to Klaus.

* * *

><p><strong>Next chapter: <strong>Stefan and Klaus will show up. Damon will find some more answers. Unravel this mystery with me, ladies. ;)

**P L E A S E R E V I E W ! **


	4. Don't Give Up, Give Up

**Don't Give Up, Give Up**

_Chapter Four_

* * *

><p><em><strong>Chicago, 2011<strong>_

The next day, Damon and Elena found themselves making the rest of the trip to The Windy City. With Damon's ultimately mad driving skills, it did not take longer than five hours until they reached an old rusty building that was entirely unfamiliar to Elena. This was not the case for Damon, however; the building looked just as sturdy as the last time he had been here. It was not too long ago, really. He had visited his brother in the 1980's and knew then that this place held more sentiment than Stefan had always let him on to believe. This was where his brother lived most of his glorious days and Damon was not one to forget.

"Damon, where are we?" asked Elena curiously. He led her upstairs, completely ignoring the curious look of the dazzled receptionist. Stefan's apartment was on the seventh floor and with Elena's slow walking it would take a while before they reached their destination. Damon had no trust in old elevators that the owner of this building seemed so fond of, so yes, they were taking the stairs. He was still in no mood for small talk so he opted to go on without a word. Elena knew better than to argue with him, so with a heavy sigh, she looked up into the eternity that the staircase seemed to take, and followed. She smiled as she realized what nice view she had, what with Damon's ass displayed so temptfully in low-hung _Armani_ jeans. She almost let out a giggle, which Damon did not fail to miss. His vampire hearing allowed him to hear even the slightest intake of breath from Elena. Still, he ignored her.

It was only when they were right outside Stefan's apartment when Damon signaled Elena to be still and quiet. When he was sure that neither a heartbeat (other than Elena's) nor any other sound was audible to his ears, he pushed the door open and let himself in. Just as he had expected, nobody was in Stefan's apartment. He could not place even the faintest scent, not even a human's. The place looked completely deserted besides the old furniture that Stefan never bothered to store away or replace with modern ones. It almost looked as though nobody had resided here or touched anything in it in years.

"Great. Where could _Edward Cullen_ be?" Damon could not help but sulk, now knowing that Stefan did not even bother to drop by his own apartment. Now how else would he find him?

Elena almost laughed at what Damon said, but stopped herself when she realised that she was about to laugh at her ex-boyfriend. It would be mean to do that, no matter how much she agreed that Stefan truly shared a lot of similarities with that sparkly vampire from that _Twilight_ series. She had never bothered to read the series but she had watched the first movie with Caroline and Bonnie not too long ago. But now that she thought about it- yeah, maybe it was that long ago. She was absolutely busy with her own life now that she could not even find time to just relax and see for herself what fictional vampires were like. Damon had assured her that she had absolutely nothing to miss. He once admitted to reading the first book just so he would understand why girls all over the world were suddenly so excited by the thought of vampires. He concluded that it was a waste of time, and that was saying something because Damon had a lot of time to kill. "Really, vampires with glitters all over their body? If it happened to me, my dick would be so ashamed that it would probably shrink in size. Please," Damon had said, utterly insulted. "Besides, the guy broods a lot. He thinks being vampire is a curse, which is so far from the truth. Come on, look at me. It's cool not growing old. I like being the eternal stud." Caroline, however, had a different argument. Like most women in the continent, she thought that Edward Cullen was the most amazing guy. In fiction, of course. With every description Caroline had of Edward Cullen, Elena thought that maybe the author had stolen Stefan's character or something.

"This is Stefan's home in Chicago. He lived here since the forties or so," said Damon as he looked around, hoping for any signs of life or just, whatever.

Elena looked at every corner of the place in awe. The man she knew would not live in a place so simple and dull —so lacking of details. Stefan had always looked so sophisticated to her but this room just would not relate to the Stefan she knew. "This is where Stefan lived?"

Damon looked at her with a questioning brow. He understood that Elena was slightly suprised. He imagined that Stefan would not dare divulge information about his Chicago years to Elena. "Yup," he answered simply. Damon walked toward Stefan's mighty wall; that wall that Stefan had always been so proud of.

"What's in there?" Elena asked curiously. Damon had been standing right in front of it for a couple of minutes, wondering if Elena should see this.

"Are you sure you'd like to know?" Damon challenged. Now he felt absolutely certain that Elena would not like to see this.

Elena suddenly feared what was behind that door. If Damon had to contemplate whether or not she should see this, then she trusted him to know better. But she felt like she needed to know. She had to. With a firm nod, she braced herself for what Damon was about to show her.

Damon pulled the door open, knowing fully well that Stefan's favourite part of this apartment still held the same essence as fifty years ago. There on the wall was a long list of names, all written in red ink. There were about four long lists of names, and now Elena simply found herself clueless.

"What are they?" She asked, still confused.

"Just a list. Stefan's list," Damon answered. If there was an easier way to do this, he would have already done it. He did not want to see Elena hurt but somehow he knew that it was bound to come out sooner or later. Stefan was a dick and there was no denying his character.

"List of what?" Elena snapped, almost impatient to hear the truth.

"List of people that he killed. He was a ripper, Elena. Do you know what that means?"

* * *

><p>Elena had always thought that Stefan was a good person. Of course she knew that he had a shady past that he insisted to keep a secret. She understood that. She never questioned the events that happened before they were together, knowing that what was truly important was the present. The last year and a half that she had shared with him meant everything to her, and to Elena there was no man better than Stefan. She had made him out to be someone whom she wanted in a boyfriend - the man of every girl's dream, to be exact. She had chosen to see only the good in him and decided that she would look past every flaw. She did not even realize when things changed. Suddenly she realized that the Stefan she knew never truly existed.<p>

She eagerly browsed the pages of Stefan's diary, the one that Damon had clung to the previous day. With a little begging on Elena's part, she successfully managed to take it away from Damon. _Okay,_ so she did more begging in the last hour or so. Besides, Damon felt his ears were about to fall off due to Elena's incessant asking about his dead fiancée. He decided that he did not want to talk about it anymore and since he knew that Elena would not stop prying, he handed her the damned journal. If she read Stefan's entries then she would find out what he already knew and she would ask him no longer. That was just as much as Damon knew, anyway.

Damon needed some 'air' so he decided to take a walk outside, leaving Elena by herself in Stefan's apartment. Elena was so absorbed in what she was reading that she did not even notice that hours had already passed by. She had finally reached the entry from January 12th 1864 before she heard heavy footsteps right outside. With a rapidly beating heart she quietly walked toward Stefan's wall. There was a tiny space in that room where she would fit, and hopefully the visitors would not come near.

The door outside opened and she heard their voices better this time. There was no denying the acceleration of her heart rate and she could only hope that neither Klaus nor Stefan would realise she was here.

Not now. Not without Damon.

She was not ready to face Klaus. Not Stefan. She planned on seeing them some time in the future but she did not think that it would have to be this soon. 'Oh God, I'm gonna die,' she thought nervously.

"Why did you bring me here, Klaus?" She heard Stefan ask in a bored tone. She had never heard him so monotonous before and hearing him like this, she found herself feeling all the pain and longing that she had for Stefan. What happened to him?

"You need a reminder of who you are, Stefan," Klaus said with a sadistic laugh.

"You think I don't know myself?" Stefan asked in the same tone that he had before.

"Let me show you," Klaus said as he tried to pull the door open, only to be stopped by Stefan.

Stefan knew what was behind that door. He knew what was on the wall. He had written it, after all. What he did not expect to see was a scared ex-girlfriend hiding just right next to that wall.

"Look what I found," Stefan said with a smirk. Elena shook her head pleadingly, wishing to all the living and the dead that Stefan would not tell Klaus that she was here. She found herself looking at Stefan, hoping to see her old Stefan in those green eyes. She needed to know that he was still there, that there was a chance that he would come back to Mystic Falls and be the same man that he once was. Again, Elena felt conflicted. Who was this man, really?

She held his eyes for more seconds, in what almost felt like hours to her, and there she saw remorse, pain, and love. He longed for her, she knew that now. But then he immediately realized that he was with Klaus now, that he left Mystic Falls to protect the people that he loved, including Elena.

* * *

><p>Klaus left with Stefan after a couple of drinks in Stefan's apartment. All throughout their stay, Elena successfully hid herself in the small closet. It had been difficult, but Klaus was adamant to stay a while in Stefan's old home, perhaps hoping to remind him of his old glorious days.<p>

Elena had heard them talk. The two men had been completely ignorant that they were just loud enough to be heard by passers by in the hallway. Even Elena had heard Klaus say the familiar words 'hybrid', 'werewolves', and 'army'. To an outsider's point of view they would have seemed as lunatics. That or they were completely drunk. Either way it was not like people would pay curious attention. This was Chicago; people minded their own business.

Elena let out a breath as she read the rest of the entries in Stefan's journal. There were a couple more left to be read before she heard someone else making way into Stefan's apartment. This time she was guarded, but still hopeful that it was anyone but Klaus or Stefan. She would have to deal with Stefan later.

"Damon! You scared me!" Elena told him about the visitors that came just about three hours ago. This angered Damon and made him realize that he had done a big mistake by leaving Elena alone. How could he be so stupid? By now he should have known by heart that Elena was never safe when left alone. He could not trust Elena with someone else but himself. Only he would protect Elena until the very last of his existence.

Elena silently cried in his arms that night, momentarily giving up and just letting herself feel the warm comfort of his embrace. She realized that she had had enough of Stefan and that perhaps Stefan left because he wanted to. There was a nagging voice at the back of her head, reminding her that Stefan had sacrificed and left Mystic Falls for Damon, that still he was the person she once knew. Stefan loved Damon. Stefan loved her. But how could he love Damon if he chose Katherine over his own flesh and blood? How could he love Elena if he had never really revealed his true self to her during those months they had together?

She did not know Stefan all that well, was her conclusion.

So when she felt like she had given the very last of her misery tears, she reluctantly pulled away from Damon and tenderly kissed him on the cheek. The sweet feel of her lips lingered on his rough, strong skin, ultimately sending shivers down his spine. "Thank you."

* * *

><p>Damon had bought her a dress. It was a pretty baby blue-colored dress that hung perfectly on her magnificent body. He had asked her to wear it tonight. He then proceeded to tell her about his plans and how he planned to execute them play-by-play. To Elena's relief, she would not have to just stand back and wait for Damon. She had a part in this plan, too; she had a say. Elena would play her girlfriend part by convincing Stefan to come back with them to Mystic Falls. He told her not mess this up. His life was on the line and with a chuckle, Damon said she better make this work because he planned to live to see the day after 2012.<p>

Elena stood weakly in a dark, deserted street, with a couple of cars parked nearby. Damon had told her to wait for Stefan here while he distracted Klaus inside a crowded bar. She counted seconds and then minutes passed. She did not think that it would take longer than ten. She looked at her phone and saw that twenty three minutes had already gone by. It was then when Stefan showed up, looking for her.

At first she tried to beg him to come back. She reasoned out with him, playing the depressed girlfriend part, just as Damon had told her. She did not have to pretend; she was already depressed enough as it is. She was bawling her eyes out but even with stained cheeks, she looked so beautiful to Stefan. He almost caved, allowing himself to be wrapped in her embrace. She was armed with Alaric's weapon this time and was ready to attack in _three... two..._

And failed. Stefan looked so angry now and Elena felt her heart skip several beats. She should not have waited, should not have been so hesitant. If she had used her mind rather than her emotions, Stefan would be in Damon's car now. Oh God, Damon would be so mad once he found out.

"What the hell, Elena?" Stefan exclaimed. "When will you understand that I left Mystic Falls because I wanted to? That I left because that part of my life is over? That I left because I'm already done with you?"

Elena felt the tears at the back of her eyelids, knew that they would roll down her cheeks soon. But instead of focusing on the implications of Stefan's words, she chose to dismiss his rejection of her.

"Okay, Stefan. I get it. But you don't have to come back to Mystic Falls for me. You owe it to Damon," she said passionately. She knew for a fact that Stefan had left Mystic Falls in exchange of the cure for Damon. Katherine had been so smug to say that to her face. Still it did not change the fact that Damon felt hurt and guilty for it.

Stefan smirked maliciously. Oh, so she's playing the Damon card now. "Damon, really? Have you two been close or something?"

Elena shot him a glare. It might not have resulted to her desired effect but she tried. She really hated his guts right now and would like to know about 1864. If he would not come home with them tonight, at least she would like to know the truth for Damon. Stefan owed him that.

"What did you do to Damon's fiancée in 1864, Stefan? What did you do to Elena?"

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **I borrowed the scenes from an episode in season 3. From this point onwards, it will take an entirely different route. You'll get some answers next chapter. ;)

It always makes me happy to read every review from my readers. If you haven't received a reply from me, just know that I read and appreciate each review. Know that I am grateful to every one of you who takes the time to tell me just what's on your mind. You guys are amazing and you truly inspire me to write more. So thank you for reading and reviewing, and I'll try to update as fast as I can. :) Cheers, ladies. xx


End file.
